Baldur's Gate 3: How to Complete Search the Cellar in BG3 (2024)

There are a handful of side quests and adventures you can complete in Baldur’s Gate 3. One of these quests can be found underneath the Blighted Village, inside of an abandoned cellar of the village’s healer called Search the Cellar. Although the person was a healer, it turns out they were a necromancy.

The necromancy’s cellar is full of undead creatures and a handful of traps you’ll need to bypass. The reason the healer was wrapped up in all of these secrets was because of a particular book, and you’ll need to track it down. Here’s what you need to know about how to complete Search the Cellar in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Where to Find Search the Cellar in Baldur’s Gate 3

You can find this quest while exploring the basem*nt in the Blighted Village in your Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign. You can uncover this hidden area by learning how to activate the bookcase at the back of the cellar, underneath the healer’s hut. I was able to track it down by having a character with high Perception, who pointed out the lever to the left of the bookcase, revealing it, and uncovering this area.

When you arrive in this open area, there will be several Undead enemies that spawn. All of these enemies will be level three, and they shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, but it never hurts to save before reaching this point. After you’ve defeated them, look for the dark journal on the ground. Interact with it, and read it to acquire the quest, and then you can begin searching ore of the cellar to learn about the necromancy.

How to Answer the Ornate Mirror in Baldur’s Gate 3

Deeper in the cellar is an item called the Ornate Mirror. It will ask your character their name, and then step forward to declare yourself an ally of its master. There are a few ways you can go about this conversation in Baldur’s Gate 3, but the quickest way to bypass the Ornate Mirror and enter the next area is to step forward and declare yourself an ally of the Ornate Mirror’s Master.

After this, the Ornate Mirror will attempt to test you. The first question it asks is what you think of the zulkir known as Szaas Tam, and your reply will need to be, “Szass is a foul, wretched creature.” The next question the mirror asks of you is how you would use Balsam Ointment. If you had read any doctor’s journals, you’d know you use it to clean wounds. However, if you did not, you can answer with, “To clean a wound?” to clear the question.

The final question from the mirror is what you’d like to see from the mirror, and the last answer needs to be, “I’d look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head.” This will be the last, successful question, and you can now bypass the mirror.

How to Search the Cellar in Baldur’s Gate 3

After you’ve bypassed the mirror, you’ll discover a large, hidden laboratory that the necromancy had been using underneath the village. You can search it and loot items you want to add for your party. However, the research notes are the most important thing to find during this quest in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can find them on the center table, and you need one of your characters to read them to advance the quest, learning that the necromancy was attempting to raise the dead. Any of your characters can read it, and it will progress the quest.

Now that you’ve learned this, head to the east side of the room, and there will be a locked door, but be careful. There’s a trap in front of the door that you need to disarm that requires a Sleight of Hand roll of at least 10, and then you need to unlock the door with a Sleight of Hand roll of at least 15. You also need a Trap Disarm kit and a Thieves’ Tool set to open both areas, respectively, and you’ll reach the grand prize: the Necromancy of Thay.

There is also a trap underneath the Necromancy of Thay. Make sure to disarm it before taking the book. After you acquire the book, the next thing becomes relatively dangerous, and you’ll want to make sure you discuss what to happen next with this book with the other members of your Baldur’s Gate 3 party.

Should You Destroy the Ancient Tome or Unlock It in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Now that you have your book, this necromancy tome has an alluring appearance to it. However, many of your Baldur’s Gate 3 party members will comment about it, varying from that you should leave it alone, destroy it, or take it away to ensure no one has anything to do with it, and it does not come to home. From this point, the best option is to tuck it in your pack to decide if you should unlock the book or if you should destroy the Necromancy of Thay.

Of the two options, I chose to destroy the book, but it is available to everyone if they want to go out of their way to open the book or get rid of it in Baldur’s Gate 3. Alternatively, you can hold onto the book and keep with you until you reach Baldur’s Gate, which appears in Act 3.

What Happens When You Destroy the Ancient Tome

If you attempt to destroy it, you will need to interact with the book and get rid of it, choosing to destroy it. Several of your party members in Baldur’s Gate 3 will approve of this action, and you’ll need to use an attack above it while it’s on the ground to do any harm to it. However, it is only hurt by Radiant damage, which means Shadowheart, or another Cleric or Paladin in your party, can do this type of damage to it. Three level 5 shadows will appear upon destroying it, and you’ll immediately enter combat.

How to Open the Ancient Tome in Baldur’s Gate 3

However, if you’d like to try opening it, you’ll need to track down the keygam inside the book’s mouth. You can find it while exploring the beginnings of the Underdark, underneath the Blighted Village in Baldur’s Gate 3. Make your way towards the Blight Village well, at the center of the city, and dive into the caves underneath it.

Unfortunately, when you arrive at this location, it’s full of phase spiders and other nefarious creatures of the depths. What’s worse is the keygam that you can need to unlock the book is protected by a creature known as the Phase Spider Matriarch, and you’ll need to defeat it if you want to acquire the keygam to open the book, known as the Dark Amethyst. If you destroy the book, you can see this pretty item somewhere in Baldur’s Gate 3.